The success of Al Jazeera’s social media outreach should be particularly worrisome for those who value accurate and unbiased reporting, as its massive reach and influence can no longer be ignored. But for the government of Qatar, AJ+’s reach has given them precisely the platform they need to advance their agenda, particularly on issues where the geopolitical goals of Western governments and Qatar’s government conveniently overlap.

An amendment quietly inserted into the annual National Defense Authorization Act by Republican House leaders would abolish the broadcasting board and place VOA, RFE/RL and other international news and information operations under the direct control of a chief executive appointed by the president. The new executive would hire and fire senior media personnel and manage their budgets.

Candidates vying to become the next United Nations Secretary General are taking questions from the public via social media and answering concerns from member states. The five permanent Security Council members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – normally chose the UN chief in a secretive process. But this time, part of that process is happening on live television in a debate broadcast globally by Al Jazeera.